"Michael P. Kube - McDowell - Black Fleet 2 - Shield of Lies" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kube-McDowell Michael P)

The Three-GS survey mission reported this as a temperate world. It had
a population of seven million and a primary ecosystem rated
provisionally at complexity two."

Shaking his head, the pilot said dryly, "We must have missed the summer
season."

"That was expected," Stopa said. "When the Three-GS contact mission
came here, they found a third of the landmass glaciated." He left
unspoken that the contact team had found the planet dead, the Qella
civilization in ruins.

"When the Tobek came, they must have thought this world was theirs for
the taking, and gave it a claiming name," said Josala.

"What difference does the name make? This is where you wanted to be,
right? What am I missing?"

"The last Three-GS contact was a hundred and fifty-eight years ago,"
Stopa said. "The planet should have begun its recovery by now."

"I still don't see the problem."

"Yes, you do," Josala said. "The problem's all we can see. The
problem is the ice."

"Try me again."

Josala sighed. "Where'd you pick us up?"

"Babali," the pilot said. "Wait--you don't have ice drills? Snow
shelter? Cold suits?"

"Babali's a tropical dig. For some reason, ice drills weren't on the
equipment list," said Josala wryly. "Our rover isn't even rated for
this kind of weather."

The pilot whistled sympathetically. "Now I see the problem. But why'd
they send you, then?"

"We were the best solution to a two-variable equation," said Josala.

"The nearest bioarchaeologist and the fastest available
transportation."

"It is not all bad," Stopa said thoughtfully. "We were sent here to
recover biological samples. The glacia tion virtually ensures that
good samples still exist to be recovered."